Williams has more than 30 years of experience in both the consumer products and packaging industry. He began his career in consumer product sales in 1976, gaining insight into key market dynamics in the U.K. and the U.S. In 1988, he became European managing director of Sweetheart International, a major food packaging and food service business. In 1992, the company was acquired by the Finnish conglomerate, Huhtamaki. Williams was appointed CEO and group president of the packaging business (Polarcup), one of the company's core divisions.
Williams' experience in the packaging sector continued to grow at Rexam, the world's second largest consumer packaging group. There, he held a number of senior management roles in specialty food packaging from 1996 to 2000. His professional journey then took him to SCA Packaging, a business group of the global consumer goods and paper giant, SCA. As president of SCA Packaging Europe from 2005 to 2008, Williams helped transform the company from an undifferentiated manufacturer into a market-driven, customer-oriented packaging solutions provider.
A member of the board of directors of FPInnovations and chairman of the board of the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, Williams is also a director of the American Forest & Paper Association and a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. In 2010, he was named North American CEO of the Year as well as Global CEO of the Year by RISI.
The 2011 induction class includes inductees from Germany, Finland, and the U.S., reports Kathleen Lhost, executive director of The Paper Industry International Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who pioneered and/or helped the world's paper and allied industries flourish. Located within the Paper Discovery Center, an interactive museum in Appleton that celebrates All Things Paper-the Wonder and the Legacy, the hall of fame currently has 100 members.
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